Crushed in Bowling Pin Machine: Worker in Critical Condition

Crushed in bowling pin machine: A repair man remained in critical condition on Tuesday after he was crushed by a bowling pin machine in Florida.
Crushed in Bowling Pin Machine: Worker in Critical Condition
4/23/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

Crushed in bowling pin machine: A repair man remained in critical condition on Tuesday after he was crushed by a bowling pin machine in Florida.

William James Martens, 40, of Panama City, was trapped under the machine for more than 10 minutes before workers freed him, reported WJHG TV.

A family was bowling on lane 7 at Rockit Lanes when they noticed the machine was jammed. They kept pressing the button to reset the lane before they noticed an arm jutting out of the machine.

Martens apparently was working on the machine but didn’t turn it off.

When emergency services came, he was blue in the face and was not breathing. Emergency crews were able to resuscitate him and took him to a hospital.

The owner of Rockit Lanes told police he did not know why Martens did not turn off the machine before working on it.

An employee told police that he was supposed to be working on lane 8 and likely misunderstood the instructions, according to the News Herald. The bowling on lane 7 might have contributed to the problem.